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My Favorite Books

On a typical day, our minds are peddling as fast as they can – with no end in sight, preparing for the next event, obligation, or anticipated catastrophe.

Holly Hunter’s onscreen daughter (played by Claire Danes) suggests the following to alleviate stress: “Remember the fish – just float.” There’s wisdom in simply letting things be, as opposed to planning for worst case scenarios that never occur. In the film Fifty First Dates, Drew Barrymore suffers a car accident that erases her short term memory – so that each day she begins anew, unencumbered by the previous day’s events.

If we lived each day with a clean slate (without pulling behind us anchors of things past, previous hurts, negative judgments, and personal condemnation) I think that our lives would be transformed. How much better would you feel if you didn’t experience a wave of negative emotion that colored your day with more of the same?

Allow yourself the luxury of basking in what is –diverting your energy from feeling wronged to experiencing release. Choosing to think all is well is a powerful prescription. By doing so you’ll engender positive thoughts.

In some e-mail accounts “trash” is cleared every day. Do you clear your mind’s cache, or do you need a stronger filter that will allow you to proceed? Telling assault thoughts to “step off” is easier when things go smoothly. You can increase your impenetrability by shifting focus, and by seeing others’ willingness to bully for what it is. While you cannot control their behavior, you can most certainly control your own. Try the following steps to recalibrate your stream of thought:

Imagine your wildest dreams realized, in the smallest detail – in 3D, in vivid color as if they had already occurred. Visualization has been suggested as a sure fire way of subconscious goal setting, as a dream catcher of sorts that propels you forth in a directed fashion. Pictures of what we desire are sometimes necessary to plant the appropriate seeds.

Get enough sleep every night. Working with a frazzled mind from lack of shut eye will set the tone for your entire day. Going to bed at a reasonable hour may mean forgoing your favorite TV show, internet game, or late night snack. More zs can leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed – in the Zen state of mind that signifies peace.

Keep hope alive. Hope is the fuel that puts a positive spin on your circumstance. Meditating on your desires over time creates a mental blueprint, and a plan to act. Hope is the substance of faith: the bridge between our reality and what we wish to see.